Devious Beings

This movie was your regular low budget, run of the mill "oops, i lost your drugs" kind of movie. But it had really good qualities about it. First off, if you listen carefully during some of the biggest scenes in the movie, christmas music plays as the soundtrack. I thought that was down right hilarious. The movie is serious but really never takes itself too seriously if that makes any sense at all. Definitely a dark comedy though those people who go into it thinking its a serious drama will definitely be disappointed. For those of you like me who just find randomness funny and have a real sick dry sense of humor, you'll probably love this movie. Some of the lines in this movie are classic and just come out of nowhere. The wrapping present scene is just too funny for words.

Basically without giving anything away (because it does have a few twists), the story is based around 3 childhood friends who are now dealing ecstasy between groups, mafia, etc. One of them has a mother who supposedly has a criminal record a mile long. So in order to keep his mother out of jail, he is blackmailed by a undercover detective that wants him to turn in his two friends and lead them to the head guy behind the dealing. So now he has to make his decision. Like I said, run of the mill storyline. There are a few moments in the movie that drag but they are followed by some great scenes. Don't rent it expecting oscar award winning acting. It's just a good ol' movie to sit down with a beer in one hand and relax to. Good stuff :)

All in all wasn't that bad of a movie once you can get past the boom that somehow seems to be in every scene. You would think you would catch that in editing. It basically tries a little pulp fiction approach. Also along the lines of every other drug type movie now a days.Friends get themselves in trouble with a deal gone wrong and have to fix it, meanwhile which a couple are being blackmailed by a crooked cop. Typically you knew what was gonna happen throughout most of the movie with only a few shocks. Jackson (Patrick Van Horn) basically is the whole movie. With a cameo by Maria Celedonio(Maria) one of my favorite unknown actresses(Freeyway 2, The substitute)which mad the film a little more bearable. All in all if you feel like wasting a couple hours of your life then pick this movie up.

Devious Beings is a movie that was inspired by the underground rave scene of America (drugs, music, mindlessness). Three youths who were raised in far less than perfect homes, grow to become ecstasy drug runners in their adolescence. When a buyer dies in the midst of a deal, the trio's quick thinking gets them into trouble, and leads to a chain reaction of bad decisions, problems and consequences between family and friends.

This movie, which was co-written and directed by Chris Mazzei accurately portrays what is going on in America behind the glamorous image that many have created for us to believe. With a strong script and fresh cast, it is indeed a Pulp Fiction for this generation of youths.

BTW, this is an unbiased critique done by someone who never worked on the movie and didn't get "let go" from it.

Chris Mazzei's Devious Beings turns on itself like a Moebius strip-the story arc is actually a series of orbits. Think of each character as an electron circling a dense nucleus in which self- preservation vibrates the whole. All the performances are strong and discrete-Mazzei somehow manages to navigate his actors through a complex, violent landscape that's dark all day long. It's not absolutely perfect, but he takes two or three movies worth of typical Hollywood clichés and stacks them with both style and skill. Andre B. Blake is the conflicted protagonist who plays and gets paid, but Robert Gossett is the main reason to check out this movie. His performance as the villain Damone is diabolical.

I picked this DVD up at Wal-Mart for 2 bucks, hoping it would kill 2 hours of Saturday afternoon boredom. I knew nothing about it and had no preconceived notion as to what it was about, the actors involved, or the material about to be shown. I was rather surprised and impressed by the movie.

Andre B. Blake (Jackson) carries the weight of nearly the entire movie on his shoulders and does so very competently (with Patrick Van Horn (Arrow)chiming in a strong performance of his own...a little spastic comedy relief), the direction and camera work was well done with a limited soundtrack befitting the situations. The script was extremely well written with pop-culture references, humour, and irony. It was of a caliber that should have gotten more attention (a more "Hollywood" cast could have made this movie what it strived to be). The one MAJOR downfall or distraction was the boom that seem to be in the shot more than out (the boom operator should perhaps find another line of work).

The DVD synopsis puts it in a league with "Go" and "Pulp Fiction", now I wouldn't place it at this level, but there was enough twisting action to keep me interested for an hour and thirty seven minutes. Worth checking out, if even a little curious.